Addison norman



(No ModeLy A. NORMAN. ELECTRIC CABLE FOR PROPULMON 0F VEHIGLES.

No. 596,907 Patented Jan. 4, 1898.

PETERS co. ko'mumo, WASH!" UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

ADDISON NORMAN, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

ELECTRIC CABLE FOR PROPULSlON OF \lEHiCLES.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 596,907, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed July 8 1896. Serial No. 598,492. (No model.)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Application of Electricity for the Propulsion of Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The purpose of my invention is to facilitate the rapid transportation of persons and materials from one place to another and to do this either on regularly-constructed railways or on any other road, way, or path.

This improvement is particularly adapted for street-railways and for temporary works where a regularly-equipped railway would be too expensive and unhandy for the required work. In all such places my invention will be found of great service, as rough wagons with fiat tires on their wheels may be used when suitably constructed and supplied with the necessary conductors, controllers, motors, and trolleys.

One of the principal features of my invention is a self-contained or combination electric cable, which consists of a main supplyconductor, sectional or working conductors, and switching devices joined in one rope or cable. These are so arranged that electricity may be conveyedsafely to any desired point throughout its whole length. The electricity so conveyed maybe used byavehicle adapted for it without in any way endangering other kinds of travel on the same road or path. Its switches may be so constructed that simply liftinga part of the cable from its restingplace will move them into closed connection. The construction of the cable is such that no electricity passes out from the inner conductor while it lies still. A vehicle must raise it up before a current can be taken from it for practical use. Of course its switches may be modified, so that a car or other vehicle can operate them without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Another feature of my invention is a carriage for the cable, which is attached to any vehicle designed to be used in connection with my cable. This carriage may be placed on the bottom of a vehicle, as shown in the drawings, or at any other part of said vehicle. This carriage may be also used as the subconductor or conveyer of the current from the switching devices on the cable to the motors on the vehicles. wire wrapping of the cable will be unnecessary, except as a protector of the insulation.

Another feature of my invention is a conduit to .be used in connection with the above cable for street-railways. It is intended as a protection and support for the cable and to carry off water that would otherwise lodge between the rails and freeze in severely cold weather. It is cheaply constructed, easily made and laid, and requires little or no excavation. It is designed to be laid on the ties or sleepers upon which the rails are laid.

In the accompanying; drawings I have illustrated some of the principal features of my invention, but I do not wish to confine myself thereby to those particular embodiments or limit its useful application thereto, as many of the points and forms may be greatly modified without in any way changing the spirit and design of my invention.

Figure l is a longitudinal view of the combination-cable, showing the main conductor in its center, insulating material between it and the outside wrapping, the outside metal wire wrapping, which also serves as the Working conductor, a sectional view of the switching device, which is a lever, and two buttons attached to the same shaft. The lever is outside the cover and the buttons are inside. Fig. 2 is an end sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is the body of a wagon with the cable-carriage attached and the cable on pulleys as it will appear when in practical operation. This or a similar carriage may be attached to any kind of vehicle. Fig. 4 is an iron or steel conduit designed to protect and support the cable when it is used for street-railways In the drawings each letter represents the same part in the several views.

A is the main supply-conductor, through which hows the current from the generator. This I shall hereinafter, for the sake of brevity, call the supply-conductor. It is made of one solid piece or a number of strands of copper wire. The latter form I prefer, be cause the cable is then more flexible.

In such cases the outer at that point for that purpose.

B is an insulating material put on to'cover and protect the supply-conductor from the other parts of the cable.

0 is a wrapping of metal wire, preferably steel, wound around the insulating material which covers the supply-conductor. This wire wrapping I shall, for the sake of brevity, call the working conductor. It is wound spirally to make it as limber as possible, so as not to impede the free movement of the cable. The working conductor is made in sections, being divided to allow switches to be inserted at short intervals and to insert insulating material between each section. This is done so that only one or two sections may be charged at a time when the cable is in use.

In Figs. 1 and 2 a switching device is shown attached to a portion of the cable. It consists of the cover H, two metal buttons L, the lever P,'shaft J, and springs N. The cover H is made of metal. It is joined at one end to the working conductor adjacent, but it is insulated at its other end from the working conductor next to it. It is firmly secured to but insulated from the supply-conductor and is made water-tight. This may be done by making the top and sides of one piece and soldering the bottom to it. The lower corners of the sides are cut gradually away toward the cable to prevent any sudden drop of the cable from the rollers or pulleys of the cable-carriage. The shaft J passes through H, and to it are attached inside the buttons L and outside the lever P. The normal position of the lever P is horizontal, but being heavy it drops to the perpendicular when the cable is lifted from a state of rest. As soon as a portion of the cable is raised from its resting-place the upper ends of the buttons L come into contact with the bare surface of the supply-conductor, the insulation having been cut away The lower ends of the buttons L are brought against the springs N, which are electrically attached to the bottom of the case II. This makes a clear passage for the current from the supply-conductor through the buttons, springs, and cover to the working conductor. When the cable is again lowered to its resting-place, the lever assumes its normal position and the current is shut off from the Working conductor. The case I-I may be made of any desirable material, metal in most cases being prefer able.

Fig. 3 shows one method of raising and lowering the cable for use on a vehicle. T is the carriage, attached to the bottom of a wagon at 7. S S are pulleys or rollers upon which the cable runs as the vehicle passes along. They are spool-shaped, so the cable may not easily slip off. The trolley may be placed at any convenient point on the vehicle. For illustration I have shown a short one at 8 in front of the wagon. The carriage T may be placed at any point of a vehicle, either at the bottom, sides, or top. I do not wish to confine myself to this particular form of cablecarriage, as the form will have to be made to suit the kind of vehicle using the cable; but this is SllffiGlGIlt to show the method of application of such a cable to vehicles for the purpose of propelling them.

Fig. 4 is the conduit I have designed to be used in connection with my cable on streetrailways and other suitable places. It is about nine inches in depth by about four inches in width. The sides 1 and the bottom are of one piece of metal, steel being pre ferred. This may be cast or rolled into shape. I prefer a round bottom, although a square or flat bottom will answer. The top is formed of two pieces 2 2, each of which is made in shape like a trough without ends. They are metal. Steel is best. They may be either cast or rolled into shape. One side of each piece 2 2 at 3 8 is left longer than the other side and turned down about half an inch in order that it may catch and hold on to the top of the sides 1 l. The ridge-s44 are made to keep the top pieces from being pushed over too much to the side. The shorter sides of the pieces 2 2 rest against the sides 1 1 and prevent the top pieces sinking down into the conduit when a weight is put on them. The shape of the top pieces 2 2 may be varied to suit other purposes: I make the top pieces longer than the main trough, so they may overlap the joints of the main portion, and thereby I produce a strong, rigid, and durable conduit without the use of screws, bolts, or nails. A space is left in between the two pieces 2 2 large enough to allow of the cable being moved freely up and down in it. The cable 6 is laid on a strip of wood or metal 9, which is held in placeby wire springs X, secured to the side pieces 2 2 by hooks or other fastenings. The cable 6 is lifted at the start ing-point onto the carriage attached to a car. As thecar moves along it raises that part of the cable near its front end and drops it back into the conduit in its rear.

Having described my invention and its purpose, I desire to secure by Letters Patent the following claims 1. In an electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles, the combination of the supply-conductor made of one or more strands of wire, and covered throughout'its whole length with insulating material, except where it is inclosed by short metal switches, with the working conductors and switches knit into one rope, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles, the combination of the sectional working conductors with the supply-conductor and which forms a coat of protection or covering for the supply-conductor, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles, the combination of the coat or covering of the supplyconductor, which also serves as working conductors, with switching devices, which form a part of the cable also, substantially as set forth.

t. In an. electric cable for the propulsion of vehic1es,the combination of switching devices attached at intervals to and around the insulating material which covers the supplyconductor, with the supply-conductor made of one or more strands of wire, and working conductors which are firmly and closely attached to the insulating material covering the supply-conductor, as set forth.

5. In an electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles,the combination of switching devices contained in a water-tight case fitting closely over the insulating material which covers the supply-conductor, a portion of the insulating material within the case being removed to permit the switching device to close the circuit between the supply-conductor, the case and a working conductor secured to the outside of said insulating material, as set forth.

6. In an electric cable for the propulsion of vehicles,the combination of switching devices contained in a water-tight case fitting closely at each end over the insulating material which covers the supply-conductor, said switching devices consisting of a horizontal shaft extending through the walls of said case and a weighted lever without the case, whereby the circuit is closed between the supply-conductor, the case and a working conductor, in contact with said case when the cable is raised as set forth.

7. A railway-cable conduit consisting of a main portion formed of a U shaped piece, the two covers spaced apart and each comprising a horizontal upper portion on the under face of which are two depending flanges for gripping the top edge of the main portion, a vertical slot portion and an inclined portion resting against the inner Wall of the main portion, whereby the cover is retained in position without bolts or other fastening devices as set forth.

8. A support for a conduit electric cable consisting of a series of longitudinal stringers having their upper surfaces grooved to receive the cable and held directly beneath the slot in the conduit by coiled wire springs having their ends secured to the cover-plates of the conduit, as set forth.

ADDISON NORMAN.

l/Vitnesses:

T. A. NELDON, I. J. TULLOCH. 

